C R O S S R O A D S

Anti-Racism Organizing & Training

How We Create an Anti-Racism

 

Team

 

CROSSROADS HAS ASSISTED ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS in the creation and training of anti-racism transformation teams for nearly 15 years.  During this time, more than 200 teams have been trained, and are now working to transform their organizations and institution.

Before a team can begin effective work, it has to first of all be created; and then it has to be trained.  Neither of these is a small task.  Simply asking 20 or 30 volunteers to step forward and declaring them an anti-racism team works about as well as taking the first nine persons you meet on the street and declaring them a baseball team.

The process of creating a team is complex and life giving.  If this initial task of team development is done well, the team stands a good chance of being healthy and strong.  If it is not done well, the team may not last long, or it will run into problems again and again.

The Crossroads Model of Anti-Racism Team Development

• Time frame: from initial inquiry to beginning of team training
• Initial exploration usually carried out by an ad hoc committee
• Formal design process carried out by a Planning Design Task Force (PDTF)
• Duration of this: varies between 6 months and 2 years.

• Begins with a one-day orientation event
• Main event: a 3 1/2 day training retreat
• Purpose: the team develops an identity, an analysis and team member relationships
• The 3 1/2 day retreat is followed by several months of team research and data collecting
• Duration of this: usually between four-six months

• Includes two 2 1/2 day training retreats (or one 5 day training retreat)
• Purpose: deepening of internal team life, development of goals and strategies, training for organizing skills
• Action plans are presented to institutional leadership for approval
• Concludes with initiation of the team's organizing work
• Duration of this: usually three-four months
• Crossroads remain as coach and consultant for the first six months of team's work

• Includes a one-day gathering 6 months after completion of Team Skills Building and Strategy Development
• Purpose: tracking progress, completion and affirmation of proposed strategies
• Redefinition of the relationship between Crossroads and the institution takes place
• This consultation is followed by further implementation of the objectives, goals and strategies created by the transformation team

The Team Building/Organizing Process

The team creation process is divided into two steps.  Following is an outline of details that need to be understood while working on the two steps of team creation

Step 1: Pre-Endorsement, Exploratory Step- This is an exploratory period that takes place before an organization or institution decides officially to endorse the creation of an anti-racism team.  During this step Crossroad organizers usually work with an ad hoc or informal group to explore the need for anti-racism work and whether Crossroads can potentially help with these needs.

This step typically involves working with the ad hoc committee to accomplish the following:

• Initial exploration of situation and need within the organization or institution;
• Introductory training for the ad hoc committee and for other leaders who are interested in exploring anti-racism work;
• Participation in a 2 1/2 day analysis workshop, in order that those who are exploring this work can do so with deeper understanding;
• Crossroads presents the team-training model as a possible approach for the organization or institution.
• The ad hoc committee develops a strategy to request official exploration of anti-racism work;
• Institutional leaders agree to a formal exploration of team development and appoint a Planning and Design Task Force.

Step 2: This is the period of formal design and creation of a team.  It is no longer an ad hoc process.  The organization or institution officially decides to explore the possibility of a team, and appoints a "Planning and Design Task Force" to carry out this exploration.  During this step, Crossroads facilitators work closely with the Planning and Design Task Force to give birth to an anti-racism transformation team, and prepare the team for training.

The Planning and Design Task Force prepares a specific proposal for an anti-racism team.  If it is approved, the Task Force recruits and selects a team.  At the conclusion of this step, the anti-racism team is created and the training of the anti-racism team can begin.  There are five specific tasks carried out by the Planning and Design Task Force, with the assistance of Crossroads facilitators:

1. Development of a project description, including a statement of purpose and objectives, historical background regarding the institution's involvement in this issue, a time line for the training process, a plan for selecting the team, and a budget and funding plan
2. Presentation of the project description to the leadership of the organization or institution, requesting approval and a decision to create the anti-racism team;
3. Ensuring funding for the completion of the team training process:
4. Recruitment and selection of the anti-racism team, in accordance with the process developed in the project description
5. Concluding process: publicity announcing project, affirmation by institutional membership, commissioning of the team.

Two Institutional Decisions

It is important to note that the team creation process requires full agreement by the leadership of the organization or institution.  This agreement is solicited in a gradual way, in an effort to ensure that the leadership understands the need for the team and the process that will bring the team into being.  During this period of team creation, the institutional leaders are asked to make two decisions: first, to appoint the Planning and Design Task Forfe, and second, to approve the project description created by the Task Force.

Later in the process, as the team is trained and develops an action plan, the leadership of the organization or institution will once again be asked to give their approval of the plan before the team puts it into action.  The work of anti-racism must be the work of the whole institution and not just a special interests group.

The Role of Crossroad's Lead Organizer

Crossroads will designate a staff person (or persons) to serve as lead facilitator of the team creation project.  The role of the lead facilitator will be:

• Primary contact and facilitator of the team creation work with the institution
• Negotiate the contract with the institution
• Work with institution's project coordinator to facilitate the work of the Planning and Design Task Force
• Provide leadership development skills for the institution's Project Coordinator
• Report regularly to Crossroads on the status of the project

The Role of the Institution's Project Coordinator

Within each institution, there should be a designated person (or persons) to serve as project coordinator.  While this role is informal during the ad hoc exploratory activity, it needs to be formalized during the work of the Planning and Design Task Force.

• Represent the institution;
• Negotiate the contract between the institution and Crossroads;
• Working with Crossroads staff to co-facilitate the work of the Planning and Design Task Force;
• Provide ongoing status reports to the institution on the team development process.

• Develop and maintain a sense of partnership between the institution and Crossroads
• Develop a co-facilitating role with Crossroads staff;
• Assist the Crossroads facilitators in preparing for specific events
• Provide ongoing status reports to Crossroads on the team development process

Contracting and Invoicing for Team Creation

Precisely how we create a contractual relationship with partner institutions may vary because each institution operates in unique ways.  It is our task to flex with these institutional variations and still attend to the formal relationship and payment issues related to the Team Creation process.

Generally, we contract with and invoice institutions in the following manner:

• Contract for Team Creation is generally negotiated and signed at the time the PDTF selects dates.
• Invoicing for Team Creation (PDTF) is usually sent when the PDTP selects training dates.

• Contract for Team Formation and Training is negotiated, sent out and signed before the team begins any training
• Invoices for fees are sent at 2 additional times
1. Before Team Analysis training
2. Before Team Skills Building and Strategy Development training